Chicken coop



N. A. WEBSTER.

CHICKEN COOP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-31.1921.

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

N. A. WEBSTER.

CHICKEMCOOP.

APPLICATION FILED ue.31,1921.

11 426 933 Aug. 22 1.922..

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

CHIGKEII 0901?.

Application filed August 31, 1921.

To all whom if; may concern: v

Be it known that I, NniL Ace lVnns'rnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVaucoIna, in. the county of Fayette and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful lln'u'irovement in Chicken (loops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to coops for elliciently and solely transporting by express, freight or otherwise, live poultry such as chickens. Prior to my invention the coops used for this purpose were very undesirable and expensive as usually they are only good for one trip of any distance; they were bulky, heavy and expensive to make, being hound and fastened} together with wire, hoops, and the like. All oi. these disadiantages and objections are overcome with coops embodying my invention, which have gone into extensive use since their adoption and Qving entire satisfaction, lfor l have provided a coop mode upof unlts which can be shipped in knock-down form and 1 readily secured together at the place whcie used in e rigid and substantial manner and when so secured, is good for many trips, either when loaded with poultry or being returned. empty, and at the same time is coinp'aratively light in weight, thus reducing the transportion rates.

it is a further object oi'f my invention to provide a coop of this class, which, while light in weight, is durable and inexpensive.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a coop made up of units in such a manner so that the separate units can be readily and quickly secured together in a rigid and substantial form.

It is a further object to provide a coop so designed as to permit of last handling of the chickens into or out ol the coop.

It is the further object to provide a coop of this type which as a. whole can be readily moved, slid 'or handled when loaded or empty.

lt is a further object to provide a chicken coop so designed as to eliminate the loss of heads of the chick us in shipping.

The above and Utllu tures of novelty, advantages and capabilities will become apparent from a detailed description of the accompanying drawings in which I have illustrated a chicken coop adapted for trans porting live chickens, embodying one form of my invention, but the construction there shown is to be understood as illustrative Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug 1/2, Serial No. 497,117.

only and not as defining the limits of my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a chicken coop, embodying one form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken on the line 2 2 Figure 1. i

Figure 3 a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of l igure 1 and Figure 4; is a diagrammatic view showing the diflerent units after having been separ rately constructed and. preparatory to being united or secured, one to another.

Prior to my invention the most satisfactory coop utilized for transporting live chickens and the like, and the only one used to any extent at all, was a wired bound coop generally desi floated in the trade as a one trip coop. ltwasso designated by virtue of the fact that it was not l cturnel'ile by the express companies and because of this the transporting oi chickens by express, as they usually re, was very expensive, as it was only good "l orone trip and necessarily the exp. so oi. such coop would have to be ahsorded in the one shipment. llowcvcr, the coops embodying my invention are returnable by the express companies due to the .l'act that they will stand several trips and are generally indicated in the trad: as the coop of several trips. Referring to the accompanying drawings in detail, the coop illustrated is constructml of six separate units, which, when secured together comprise the top, bottom, sides and ends. In practice the outside dimensions of the standard size completed coop is filSxQ lxlZ inches. weighs about fifteen pounds, its capacity being from T5 to 85 pounds, and on test has supported 1300 pounds without injury. in cmislructing the dill'ercnt units lor the coop at the factory in knockdown form, we will, for the purpose of illustrationsay that we start first with the bottom unit, although it is perl'ictly obvious that any unit may be constructed first or all. at the same time by dill'erent men. In. constructing the bottom unit comparatively thin boards of the desired length usually 24 inches, are nailed intermediate their ends to asubstantial rib 10 which rib terminates at either end short of the extreme outer edges of the bo tom ll. The sides 12 are in practice constructed by securing or nailing a top and bottom rail 13 and 14 of substantial cross sections to corner posts 15 and-a center post 16. Between the top and bottom rail and parallel therewith is secured to the corner and center posts two comparatively thin slats l7. The end units are constriu-ted by nailing or otherwise securing three comparatively thin slats intermediate their ends to a substantial rib 15) which rib is of a length shorter than the heights of the finished coop, for apurpose presently to be descril'ied. Likewise the end slats are of the length, shorter than the width of the bottom of the finished coop. The top constructed of a plurality of com; arati\'ely thin slats of the same length as the boards torming the bottom, which slats are rigidly secured in termediate their ends to a substantial rib 21 from end to end, save for a central space or opening of about eight inches. Those slats are closely spaced for reasons hereafter referred to. Within the opening in the top unit betweenthe closely spaced slats just referred to is detachably secured to the rib a closure 22 of substantial thickness, so that it can be readily removed, or rotated, so as to permit ready movement of the chickens into or out of the coop.

The parts thus far described as before stated, are constructed at the factory and if desired can be shipped. in knock-down form in a comparatively small flat package.

Before the different units are assembled, they would appear as in Figure 4. The first step in asselnblii'ig usually is to nail the bottom unit to the side units, the bottom being nailed to the comparativelyheavy lower side rails'l t. These side rails are of such a design as to afford sufficient nailing surface to effect a substantial union or connection between the bottom and sides. After the bottom and sides have been secured together such-parts are placed in an upright position and-theflend units are then.- nailed to the cornerposts 15 on the side pieces. 'Ji"he last and final step is to secure the top in place by nailing the slats of the top unit t-o the upperside rails 13 and the center rib 21 of the. top unit to the center ribsll) of the end units on which the rib 21 of the top unit rests. This completes the coop save for the closure 22 which in practieeand as illustrated in accompanying drawing, consistsof a solid board having a greater thickness than the slats going to make up the top, so that its upper surface extends slightly above the upper. plane of the slats. This closure 22 in practice is'about six inches wide and is detachably secured to the center rib 2L and the two side posts 16, that is supported by these members. With. this form of closure it permitsthe fast handling of the. poultry into and out of the coop and further by utilizing the substantial closure of this kind supported as it is, it permits of the ready handling of coops when placed on top of one another, as it serves 111 a, way a turn table in sliding and turning the coops and further re duces the lriction of the superimposed coops and takes up the load to relieve the coinparativcly thin slats.

From the method and manner of assembling above described, it will be seen that when the coop is completed that l have pro- 1 prise the substantial top and bottom rails 13 and l t, the corner posts loand the center posts l6, and the center frame member comprises a'bottom rib 10, top rib 2i and end ribs 13), all arranged. and brought together in such a manner not to disturb in any manner the continuity of the parts throughout. The end ribs 19 are in direct contact with and supported on the bottom rib '10 best shown in Figure 2, and the top rib 21 is in contact with and supported on the end ribs 19 as best shown in the same figure, The upper and lower side rails 13 and M are of substantially greater cross sections than the side slats 17 as best shown in Figure The closure for the opening in the' top heretofore referred to is supported near its ends on the center post otthe side units- 16 likewise shown in the same figure. It will be noted that the ends and corners of all the ribs and posts are within the coop and protected by'the slats forming the bottom, sides, top and ends'thereo'l. By having the slats in the top unit closely spaced, the loss of heads in shipping is. eliminated.

I claim 1. A light, rigid, return coop comprising a plurality of pro-constructed sections adapted to be initially shipped in knockdown form and readily assembled into a completed permanent light rigid structure, said sections including a "bottom section provided with a central rib, side sections provided with top and bottom supporting rails, end and central posts secured to said rails, and comparatively thin slats secured to said posts end sections consisting of end posts and thin slats rigidly secured thereto and a top section of comparatively thin slats provided with a central rib to which the slats are rigidly secured, and when assembled said end and top sections being secured respectively to said side posts and top rails and a readily removable closure in the top section sul'istantially as and for the purpose set forth. 1

2. A light, rigid return coop comprising a plurality of pro-constructed sections adap ed to be initially shipped in knocked down form and readily assembled into a complete permanent light, rigid, structure, said sections including a bottom section provided with acentral rib, side sections provided With end and central posts, and top and bottom rails rigidly secured to the end and central posts and comparatively thin slats secured to said posts, end sections, consisting of central posts and comparatively thin slats 10 rigidly secured to the central posts, said central posts adapted to rest on the rib of the bottom section when the sections are assembled, a top section provided tvit-h a central rib adapted when the sections are assembled to rest on the central posts of the end sections, and means for rigidly and pern'ianently securing the parts together, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

1n Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 'my name to this specification in, the presence of two Witnesses.

NEIL ACE WEBSTER.

Witnesses M. F. OLArsoN. G, R. Loon. 

